(Radio Iowa) – Several Iowa cities were swamped with flood waters, but Iowa Workforce Development director Beth Townsend says the flooding didn’t significantly impact unemployment numbers. “We only saw a few hundred claims total in the flooded areas at the at the peak, and it’s, you know now it’s down probably closer to one hundred or less,” Townsend says. The claim numbers didn’t go up after the initial filings. She says they’ve continued to decline pretty steadily and fairly quickly. Townsend says there was the opportunity for some to make claims that normally wouldn’t.

“When the President declares a national disaster area, then individuals who might not otherwise be qualified for unemployment, i-e because they’re self employed, would be eligible to receive benefits. And then the Feds reimburse the state trust fund for the amount of the disaster related unemployment claims,” Townsend says. “So actually, disaster related claims do not hurt our trust fund balance, because we’re going to get that money back from the feds.”

Townsend says the floodwaters did not hit any of the larger cities where there are large concentrations of workers, and that is why unemployment didn’t see the impact.

(Iowa News Service) – Advocates for a fair, sustainable and healthy food system have released a report showing that nearly all of the corn seed in Iowa is controlled by just four companies. Economists say concentrations that large can lead to market manipulation. Farm Action’s report shows nearly 90-percent of the corn seed in Iowa is controlled by Corteva and Bayer. AgReliant and Syngenta control the rest. Farm Action President Angela Huffman says that kind of control and concentration is happening all the way from seeds to the consumer’s plate, and she warns it makes market conditions ripe for abuse.

The same type of consolidation is happening in ag operations where livestock are raised in large confinements, and manure runoff is known to damage the air, ground and surface water in rural Iowa.

SALO, FINLAND – AUGUST 22, 2015: Line up of four John Deere agricultural tractors, 6115R and 7340 on the left, at Puontin Peltopaivat Agricultural Harvesting and Cultivating Show.

Operators have said they’re always looking for more efficient and environmentally friendly ways to raise livestock.

Huffman argues that monopolies like this can lead to collusion, price fixing and other types of market manipulation. She and other advocates have called on lawmakers in Congress to address the issue in the pending Farm Bill.

The current Farm Bill, which was supposed to expire in September of last year, has been extended – but debate still hasn’t started on a new version.

(Radio Iowa) – Two of Iowa’s top election officials say the window for receiving and then returning an absentee ballot is very narrow and mailing the ballot back may not be the best option. Adams County Auditor Becky Bissell is president of the Iowa State Association of County Auditors. Bissell says after she drops a ballot off at the Post Office, it takes between five to seven days before it’s delivered to a voter if they live in rural areas of her county.

“We have a 20 day window from when we can mail out the ballots. Three of those days the Postal Service doesn’t deliver mail,” Bissell says. “If it takes seven days for the ballot to get to them, they essentially have three days to get that ballot voted and back to us and that’s a pretty small window.” Iowans are able to fill out a form and REQUEST an absentee ballot today, but October 16th is the first day county auditors can start mailing out the ballots. Bissell says voters have other options once they get the absentee ballot — like hand delivering it to their local county auditor’s office.

“They can put it into an election drop box, if the county has one,” Bissell says. “In my county, they don’t have an election drop box, so===so if they can’t get out of the car, pull into a spot outside the courthouse, call my office and we’d be more than happy to come down and get that from the voter.” That’s an option in other counties, too, plus eligible Iowa voters can cast ballots at their county auditor’s office staring October 16th.

Secretary of State Paul Pate says voters who want to vote-by-mail can track their ballot online at www.voterready.iowa.gov. “You can see: ‘Did the county courthouse get my request for an absentee ballot? It shows you the date. It’ll show you the date that the courthouse mailed it out to you. It’ll show you the date they received it back and if at any point here you see your ballot’s not getting there, go to plan B,” Pate says. “And Plan B will be either to come down to the courthouse ad vote or go to a traditional polling location.” Pate and Bissell made their comments this weekend during an appearance on Iowa Press at Iowa P-B-S.

“My office and so have the county auditors have had some serious discussions with the legislature about looking at the timetable on the early voting/absentee ballot scenario and I’m sure we’ll be having more of those,” Pate says. “…There are just some administrative things that we may need a little more room to adjust for.”

Earlier this month state and local election officials around the country issued a statement warning delayed delivery of ballots by the U-S Postal Service could lead to fewer people voting and a loss of trust in the electoral system.

POLK COUNTY, Iowa — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a two-vehicle accident that killed three people Sunday evening. Deputies were called to the scene east of Ankeny, at the intersection of Northeast 46th Street and Northeast 94th Avenue, a little before 8 p.m. Sunday

A preliminary investigation determined one vehicle was traveling eastbound with two occupants while the other vehicle was northbound with one occupant. All three people were pronounced dead on the scene.

The victims have not yet been identified. No other information is available at this time.

{Wilton, Iowa) –  A crash Sunday evening in Muscatine County resulted in three people hurt and another deceased. The Iowa State Patrol reports the collision between a Nissan Juke and a Ford Taurus happened at around 5:35-p.m. in the 1100 block of Taylor Avenue, in Wilton.

Authorities said the Nissan was traveling north on Taylor Avenue as the Ford was traveling southbound. For reasons unknown, the Nissan crossed the center line of the road into the southbound lane. The vehicle collided in an offset-style (Left front to left front side).  Both vehicles sustained severe damage. Following the collision the Nissan came to rest on the east shoulder of the road, while the Ford came to rest in the west ditch.

Two of the crash victims were transported to the University of Iowa Hospital by helicopter, where one of the individuals died. Another of the crash victims was transported to Genesis Medical Center by ambulance, while information on the fourth victim was not available.  The Patrol says two of the four victims were wearing seat belts.

No names were immediately released.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa native who was the voice of the Phoenix Suns for 51 seasons has died. Al McCoy died Saturday at the age of 91. He was the longest tenured announcer for an NBA team, from 1972 until May of 2023. He has received numerous honors for his NBA work. McCoy was born on a farm near Williams in Hamilton County. He started his career in 1951 with KJFJ Radio which is now KQWC.

McCoy worked in stations in Iowa and across the country before his start with the Phoenix Suns. McCoy also spent four seasons announcing Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games. The cause of death has not been announced.

(Creston, Iowa) – Two accidents occurred less than 15-minutes apart, Friday afternoon, in Creston. According to the Creston Police Department, one person was injured during a collision that took place at around 5-p.m., at Highway 25 north and Prairie Street. Authorities say a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria driven by 16-year-old Tyler James Werner, of Creston, was stopped at the intersection of Sumner and Prairie facing east on Prairie, waiting to proceed through the intersection. Werner looked, but did not see an approaching 2013 Chevy Impala traveling north on Sumner, and driven by 22-year-old Katheryn Ann Rogness, of Lorimor.

The Ford struck the Chevy on the driver’s side door, causing disabling damage to both vehicles. Rogness suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to the Creston hospital. Police say Tyler Werner faces possible citations. The report noted the cause of the accident was apparently driver inexperience and a prior for reckless driving. Damage from the collision amounted to a police-estimated $3,000 total.

The other accident happened at around 4:47-p.m., Friday at the intersection of Sycamore and Devoe Streets, in Creston. Authorities say a 2020 Chevy Traverse driven by 52-year-old Terri Lynn Newton, of Diagonal, was traveling west of Devoe Street and approaching the stop sign at the intersection with Sycamore, but the vehicle did not fully stop. The SUV proceeded into the intersection, where it struck a 2009 Chevy Expedition driven by 18-year-old Tanner Alan Klejch, of Creston, as he was traveling north on Sycamore.

Neither driver nor a passenger in the Expedition were injured. All were wearing their seat belts. Damage from the collision amounted to a police-estimated $6,000 altogether. No citations were issued.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors are expected to draw lots, Tuesday, to determine staggered term limits for each member of the Compensation Board, and pass a resolution to establish a County Compensation Board. During their meeting last week, the Supervisors passed a resolution to reinstate the Compensation Board, which is typically comprised of representatives from each County department.

The Compensation Board recommends salary levels or increases to the supervisors during each fiscal year’s budget process. This past July, those types of boards were eliminated under a bill approved by the Iowa Legislature and signed by Governor Kim Reynolds. County officials then had the option of whether to reinstate comp boards, or assume their responsibilities.

In other business, the Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County will act on approving: a contract lease with Life Unposed, LLC, with regard to the Highland Annex; and, the abatement of taxes for certain, City of Elliott-owned properties/parcels, in the amount of $636.

The Board will once again discuss, and possibly pass, a Public Comment Policy. Last week, the Supervisors took no action on a proposed policy regulating public comment periods. Provisions included moving the comment period to the end of the meeting, and limiting speakers to three minutes. Supervisors Chair Mike Olson also proposed limiting the number of people speaking on a particular topic, and prohibiting personal attacks against board members.

The Montgomery County Board of Supervisor’s meeting begins at 8:30-a.m. Tuesday (Sept. 24), in their Red Oak courthouse Board Room.

OMAHA, Neb. — Two planes were diverted to Omaha Saturday evening, in separate incidents. According to KETV in Omaha, the first incident happened around 8:20-p.m., when a Southwest flight traveling from Phoenix to Chicago landed in Omaha for a medical emergency. Omaha police said that person was taken to the hospital in extremely critical condition.

The second airplane was diverted to Omaha around 8:40-p.m. It was a United flight traveling from Denver to Grand Rapids. The Omaha Airport Authority said the pilots reported a hydraulic issue. That plane landed safely at 9-p.m.

(Mitchellville, Iowa) — A man from central Iowa has unofficially broken the Guinness World Record for the fastest motorized wheelbarrow. WHO-TV in Des Moines reports John Loghry from Saylorville, Iowa retired a few years ago and since then has been trying to find ways to fill his time. Around a year ago John came across the record for fastest motorized wheelbarrow and decided it was something he wanted to do. He made the machine with idea of hopefully beating the record.

On Saturday, he enlisted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to help set up the record-breaking event. A smooth and safe street in Mitchellville was picked out and blocked- off, and at 2-p.m. Loghry finally saw his dream come to fruition. When he began working on his wheelbarrow the Guinness World record was 47 kph (Kilometers per hour; 29 mph), Loghry set the new record at 57 kph (a little more than 35 mph).

In addition to going for the World Record, Loghry used the opportunity to bring attention to one of his favorite charities, Wounded Warriors. A veteran himself, John began volunteering at the VA hospital twice a week after he retired. All the donations gathered at the event will be donated to Wounded Warriors and those who donated had the unique opportunity to get a specialized Guinness World Record poker chip.

Loghry said once he has the official police report, he’ll gather all of his evidence and send it to Guinness to be verified as the new World Record Motorized Wheelbarrow Champion.